Collection of School Board Letters

CLARENCE CENTRAL SCHOOL DISTRICT

ADMINISTRATION BOARD OF EDUCATION Geoffrey M. Hicks, Ed.D. Michael Fuchs Superintendent of Schools President MaryEllen Colling Matthew Stock Director of Special Education Vice President Robert Michel Tricia Andrews Director of Personnel James Boglioli Richard J. Mancuso Dennis Priore Business Official Kristin Overholt Dawn Snyder Asst. Superintendent for Curriculum & Instruction Mary Beth Sweeney

December 2, 2019

The Honorable Michael Ranzenhofer New York State Senate 188 State Street, Room 609 Legislative Office Building Albany, NY 12247

Dear Senator Ranzenhofer,

I am writing to ask that you reject S298B (Hoylman) that would mandate immunizing all children born after January 1, 2009, for the human papillomavirus (HPV). The proposed legislation is currently in committee. The legislation is ill-conceived and if passed into law, would have a detrimental effect on many families in the Clarence Central School District. The District has received communication from a number of parents who are vehemently opposed to mandatory immunization of HPV.

HPV is spread by intimate sexual contact and therefore is not an epidemic infectious disease among school-aged children. Vaccines previously mandated for universal use are those which protect the public's health against agents easily communicated, responsible for epidemics, or causing significant morbidity or mortality among those passively exposed to the illness. HPV is not an agent in that category.

Further, the American Medical Association Journal of Ethics (January, 2007) reasons that the HPV vaccine does not meet the high threshold for mandating. According to the American Medical Association:

“Most infections are harmless, and screening methods (Pap smear and HPV testing) are available to identify individuals who are at risk of cervical cancer, which occurs 10 to 20 years following initial infection. Treatment of precursor lesions by minor surgical procedures is completely effective in preventing cervical cancer. Thus, there is no compelling public health rationale for mandating HPV vaccine in school-aged children.”

The proposed legislation adds HPV to the current list of mandated immunizations for school-aged children, and decrees that schools not permit any child to be admitted or to attend school without proof of the HPV vaccination. The only options available for parents are to home school their children or move to a state without mandated immunizations. Mandating the vaccine for school-aged children and denying children admission to school if they don’t comply seems particularly onerous, especially for a disease that is not communicable in the classroom and/or school environment.

I urge you not to dismiss the concerns of those worried about both the rationale for mandating HPV vaccinations and the serious governmental overreach that interferes with parental ability to make informed medical choices for their children.

Please use your influence to reject S298B.

Sincerely,

Geoffrey M. Hicks, Ed.D. Superintendent

9625 MAIN STREET • CLARENCE, NEW YORK 14031-2083 • (716) 407-9100 • FAX (716) 407-9126 • www.clarenceschools.org CLARENCE CENTRAL SCHOOL DISTRICT

December 2, 2019

The Honorable Michael Norris New York State Assembly 8180 Main Street Williamsville, NY 14221

Dear Assemblyman Norris,

I am writing to ask that you reject A2912 (Paulin) that would mandate immunizing all children born after January 1, 2009, for the human papillomavirus (HPV). The proposed legislation is currently in committee. The legislation is ill-conceived and if passed into law, would have a detrimental effect on many families in the Clarence Central School District. The District has received communication from a number of parents who are vehemently opposed to mandatory immunization of HPV.

Further, the American Medical Association Journal of Ethics (January, 2007) reasons that the HPV vaccine does not meet the high threshold for mandating. According to the American Medical Association:

Please use your influence to reject A2912.

Sincerely,

Geoffrey M. Hicks, Ed.D. Superintendent

9625 MAIN STREET • CLARENCE, NEW YORK 14031-2083 • (716) 407-9100 • FAX (716) 407-9126 • www.clarenceschools.org

FRANKLIN SQUARE UNION FREE SCHOOL DISTRICT DISTRICT OFFICES: Washington Street School 7 60 Was hington S treet, F ranklin S quare, N Y 11010 -3898 F

S FAX: (516) 505-6972 Board of Education FOUNDATION (516M) 5r0. 5S-t6e9p7h5en Toto, f or SUCCESS President Mrs. Helen Hoffman, Vice President Mr. Louis Curcio Mr. William Leder Mr. Joseph Lewinger December 5, 2019

Dear Governor Cuomo and Elected Oﬃcials:

On behalf of the Franklin Square Union Free School District, we are wring to strongly oppose an amendment to Secon 2164 of the public health law that is being proposed by the New York State which would require an addional immunizaon against the human papillomavirus (HPV).

We appreciate the role that our elected officials play in keeping the public safe from communicable diseases, especially in open spaces including our schools. The HPV virus, unlike other illnesses such as measles, mumps, rubella, and pertussis, does not spread easily through the air or lack of personal hygiene. While these viruses can be passed easily from child to child, adult to child or child to adult, the risk of HPV transmission is different. In fact, according to the CDC, HPV is the most common sexually transmied infecon which is spread through sexual intercourse. While there have been other cases of transmission, the CDC does not reference them on their HPV page as they are less common. It is also important to note that Gardasil 9, the vaccine for HPV, does not protect against all types of HPV and there are many known side effects that have caused physicians to recommend against giving this vaccine.

Parents should be provided with informaon and be allowed to make an informed decision regarding whether or not to have their children vaccinated against HPV. This disease is not spread in school and there is no public health risk at this me. The Board of Educaon of Franklin Square Union Free School District would, therefore, urge you to allow parents to determine whether or not their children receive this vaccine. As our elected oﬃcials we ask you to vote against this bill and not add this new requirement for students in the state to be vaccinated against HPV in order to aend public schools.

Sincerely,

Stephen Toto, President Helen Hoﬄman, Vice President Louis Curcio, Trustee William Leder, Trustee Joseph Lewinger, Trustee

MIDDLE COUNTRY CENTRAL SCHOOL DISTRICT

8 43RD STREET • CENTEREACH, NY 11720 631-285-8005 • 631-738-2719 (fax) • www.mccsd.net

Roberta A. Gerold, Ed.D., Superintendent of Schools Francine McMahon, Deputy Superintendent for Instruction Herbert B. Chessler, Assistant Superintendent for Business James G. Donovan, Assistant Superintendent for Human Resources

December 12, 2019

Dear Governor Cuomo and State Lawmakers,

As elected officials in the Middle Country Central School District we, along with our Superintendent, are writing today in opposition of the proposed amendment to Section 2164 of the public health law, which would require that all children receive the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine as part of the state’s mandated school immunization program.

While we recognize that changes in the health law are often necessary in order to protect the public at large against health crises or to mitigate exposure to a communicable disease in open spaces, we are clinically opposed to adding the HPV vaccine to the required vaccination program for myriad reasons.

The other vaccines that students are required to receive in order to attend public school all have one thing in common: they aim to safeguard children against diseases that are easily contracted in a public school setting. These illnesses, such as measles, mumps, rubella and pertussis, are spread most commonly through poor personal hygiene (lack of proper hand washing) or via airborne respiratory droplets that contain the virus/bacteria, making the pool of individuals at risk for illness very large and the locations where one can contract an infection limitless.

However, according to the American Cancer Society, “HPV can be passed from one person to another by skin-to-skin contact, such as occurs with sexual activity. The main way HPV is spread is through sexual activity, including vaginal, anal and oral sex.” Research further shows that you cannot get HPV from toilet seats, hugging/holding hands, swimming pools or hot tubs, sharing food or utensils, or being “unclean.” Furthermore, according to MED Shadow, while the “post-marketing safety and surveillance data indicate that Gardasil 9 is ‘well-tolerated and safe,’ still ‘many physicians have hesitated to recommend it based on its potential side effects, which range from more mild (pain at the injection site, fever and fainting) to adverse events (autoimmune and neurological disorders, anaphylaxis and death)’.”

As our public schools are not places where students would engage in the activities found to make one susceptible to contracting or spreading HPV, why then should it be mandatory that students be inoculated with the vaccine in order to attend school? We have been advised that there is no inherent risk to the public’s health, as this disease is neither spread by children nor life-threatening to them.

The mission of the MCCSD is to empower and inspire all students to apply the knowledge, skills, and attitudes necessary to be creative problem solvers, to achieve personal success, and to contribute responsibly in a diverse and dynamic world.

William Floyd Union Free School District

of the MASTICS – MORICHES – SHIRLEY

Our rich history builds a promising future!

Kevin M. Coster Superintendent of Schools

December 12, 2019

The Honorable Andrew M. Cuomo Governor of New York State NY State Capitol Building Albany, NY 12224

Dear Governor Cuomo & Members of the NYS Senate and Assembly:

At our December 10, 2019, meeting, the William Floyd Board of Education adopted a sense resolution opposing amendments to Section 2164 of the public health law, which adds immunizations against the Human Papillomavirus (HPV) to the list of vaccinations required to attend public school. There are corresponding bills in both the Senate and Assembly mandating the vaccine (S00298/A02912) and others allowing minor children to receive the vaccination without parental consent (S3899A/A973A) and (S4244B/A6564C), which we are also expressing our opposition to.

As you know, HPV is non‐communicable in a school setting and, according to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) is only spread through intimate sexual contact; the behaviors that spread HPV are not and should not be occurring on school grounds. Therefore, HPV is not a public health risk in a school setting.

While we are not challenging that the vaccination may be helpful in preventing certain forms of cancer, the choice as to whether to have children vaccinated for HPV should be made only by the parents in consultation with their physician. It is a personal and moral choice and should remain one for parents only, as they are in the best position to make healthcare decisions regarding their children.

We feel this proposed unfunded mandate is unnecessary and will have a devastating impact on school districts throughout the state with many families turning to homeschooling and some leaving the state altogether. We have heard from many of our residents, who have made it clear in no uncertain terms, that they will not tolerate this and will homeschool or move to a state that is less restrictive when it comes to parental healthcare decision‐making. This government overreach into parental choices regarding healthcare takes away parents’ decisions to choose what is best for them personally, and, deprives children of a public education by virtue of a good‐faith parental opposition to this vaccination.

Since HPV is not a public health risk in a school setting and because parents should have direct decisions over the healthcare of their children, we implore you to immediately withdraw these bills from consideration. If these bills pass, it will preclude many thousands of children from access to a public education across the state, and, could have devastating results on the future of New York.

Sincerely,

Robert J. Vecchio President, Board of Education

/ms cc: The Honorable Andrew Cuomo, Governor, State of New York The Honorable Kenneth P. LaValle, Senator, 1st District The Honorable John J. Flanagan, Senator, 2nd District The Honorable Monica Martinez, Senator, 3rd District The Honorable Phil Boyle, Senator, 4th District The Honorable James Gaughran, Senator, 5th District The Honorable Kevin Thomas, Senator, 6th District The Honorable Anna M. Kaplan, Senator, 7th District The Honorable John E. Brooks, Senator, 8th District The Honorable Todd Kaminsky, Senator, 9th District The Honorable James Sanders Jr., Senator, 10th District The Honorable Toby Ann Stavisky, Senator, 16th District The Honorable Zellnor Myrie, Senator, 20th District The Honorable Kevin S. Parker, Senator, 21st District The Honorable Brad Hoylman, Senator, 27th District The Honorable Liz Kreuger, Senator, 28th District The Honorable Jose M. Serrano, Senator, 29th District The Honorable Luis R. Sepulveda, Senator, 32nd District The Honorable Gustavo Rivera, Senator, 33rd District, Chair, Health Committee The Honorable Alessandra Biaggi, Senator, 34th District The Honorable Jamaal T. Bailey, Senator, 36th District The Honorable Shelley B. Mayer, Senator, 37th District, Chair, Education Committee The Honorable Fred W. Thiele Jr., Member of Assembly, District 1 The Honorable Anthony Palumbo, Member of Assembly, District 2 The Honorable Joe DeStefano, Member of Assembly, District 3 The Honorable Steven Englebright, Member of Assembly, District 4 The Honorable Doug Smith, Member of Assembly, District 5 The Honorable Philip R. Ramos, Member of Assembly, District 6 The Honorable Andrew R. Garbarino, Member of Assembly, District 7 The Honorable Michael J. Fitzpatrick, Member of Assembly, District 8 The Honorable Michael LiPetri, Member of Assembly, District 9 The Honorable Steve Stern, Member of Assembly, District 10 The Honorable Kimberly Jean‐Pierre, Member of Assembly, District 11 The Honorable Andrew P. Raia, Member of Assembly, District 12 The Honorable Charles D. Lavine, Member of Assembly, District 13 The Honorable David D. McDonough, Member of Assembly, District 14 The Honorable Michael Montesano, Member of Assembly, District 15 The Honorable Anthony D’Urso, Member of Assembly, District 16 The Honorable John K. Mikulin, Member of Assembly, District 17 The Honorable Taylor Darling, Member of Assembly, District 18 The Honorable Edward P. Ra, Member of Assembly, District 19 The Honorable Melissa Miller, Member of Assembly, District 20 The Honorable Andrew Hevesi, Member of Assembly, District 28 The Honorable Catalina Cruz, Member of Assembly, District 39 The Honorable Felix W. Ortiz, Member of Assembly, District 51 The Honorable Jo Anne Simon, Member of Assembly, District 52 The Honorable Walter T. Mosley, Member of Assembly, District 57 The Honorable Jaime R. Williams, Member of Assembly, District 59 The Honorable Deborah Glick, Member of Assembly, District 66 The Honorable Linda B. Rosenthal, Member of Assembly, District 67 The Honorable Inez E. Dickens, Member of Assembly, District 70 The Honorable Harvey Epstein, Member of Assembly, District 74 The Hon. Richard N. Gottfried, Member of Assembly, District 75, Chair, Assembly Health Committee The Honorable Jeffrey Dinowitz, Member of Assembly, District 81 The Hon. Michael Benedetto, Member of Assembly, District 82, Chair, Assembly Education Committee The Honorable Amy Paulin, Member of Assembly, District 88 The Honorable Ellen C. Jaffee, Member of Assembly, District 97 The Honorable Aileen M. Gunther, Member of Assembly, District 100 The Honorable John T. McDonald III, Member of Assembly, District 108 The Honorable Patricia Fahy, Member of Assembly, District 109 The Honorable Barbara Lifton, Member of Assembly, District 125 The Honorable William Magnarelli, Member of Assembly, District 129 The Honorable Patrick Burke, Member of Assembly, District 142 The Honorable Monica P. Wallace, Member of Assembly, District 143

BOARD OF EDUCATION Robert Vecchio, President • April Coppola, Vice President • Jeananne Dawson • Thomas A. Gross • Robert Guerriero • Lorraine Mentz • Robert Taiani 240 Mastic Beach Road, Mastic Beach, New York 11951‐1028/ (631)874‐1201/ (631)281‐4317(Fax) www.wfsd.k12.ny.us LEVITTOWN PUBLIC SCHOOLS Levittown Memorial Education Center 150 Abbey Lane Levittown, NY 11756

Board of Education Peggy Marenghi, President Dillon Cain, Vice President Marianne Adrian Christina Lang Jennifer Messina James Moran Michael Pappas December 13, 2019

The Honorable Senator Thomas Senator for the 6th District 990 Stewart Avenue, Suite LL45A Garden City, NY 11530

Dear Senator Thomas:

We have come to understand that there are versions of bills in the Health Committees of the New York State Senate (S298B) and the New York State Assembly (A2912A), which seek to mandate the vaccination of all children attending school in New York State against Human Papilloma Virus (HPV). Specifically, each of the bills makes it unlawful for a school to admit a child without evidence of such vaccination in excess of fourteen days. The Levittown Board of Education disagrees with this bill and strongly disagrees with any vote for its passage into law.

Unlike other communicable diseases for which vaccinations are required, the Human Papilloma Virus is contracted through sexual activity. We believe that it is unreasonable to assume that children will contract this virus while participating in school activities and believe, therefore that the decision to vaccinate a child should be one made between the parent, child and their doctor. Moreover, we believe it is unconscionable to deny the right to an education for children whose parents have made a choice on their behalf to forgo the administration of this vaccination. Finally, this is an additional burden on our already overtaxed school system, which would be forced to enforce health laws that have no bearing on our mission.

Although we realize that you are not a member of the Health Committee, we strongly urge that you cast a no vote should this bill be brought before the Senate. We appreciate your faithful dedication to your constituents.

Thank you,

Peggy Marenghi President of the Levittown Board of Education On behalf of school board members: Dillon Cain, Vice President Marianne Adrian Christina Lang Jennifer Messina James Moran Michael Pappas

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chrome-extension://nlkncpkkdoccmpiclbokaimcnedabhhm/gallery.html 1/1 PLAINEDGEPUBLIC SCHOOLS 241 Wyngate Drive Massapequa, NY 11758 Phone: (516) 992-7450 Fax: (516) 992-7445 www.plainedgeschools.org December 16, 2019

The Honorable Andrew M. Cuomo Governor of New York State

BOARD OF EDUCATION New York State Capitol Building Albany, New York 12224 CATHERINE FLANAGAN PRESIDENT Dear Governor Cuomo, RAYMOND PARIS VICE PRESIDENT Currently, there is an amendment to section 2164 of the Public Health Law that has been JENNIFER MAGGIO presented in the New York State Senate and the New York State Assembly. This proposed TRUSTEE amendment would require immunization against the human papillomavirus (HPV) for

DR. LYNNDA NADIEN students to attend public school. The Plainedge Board of Education strongly opposes this TRUSTEE proposed amendment.

DR. JOSEPH NETTO HPV is not contracted in a manner likely to occur in the appropriate and normal course of TRUSTEE conduct in a public school setting and does not have a short incubation period similar to the SONNY SPAGNUOLO other viruses/diseases for which immunizations are not currently mandated. TRUSTEE If this bill amendment were to pass, our students could be denied access to public education if 5151 TOWNSON their parents decide the risks outweigh any benefit to immunization. The Plainedge Board of TRUSTEE Education is pro-parent choice and believes it should be the parents who ultimately decide to choose to have their child(ren) vaccinated against HPV. We also believe that this would be an MAUREEN RYAN unfair burden for our school district to ensure compliance and another unfunded mandate by SCHOOL DISTRICT CLERK the State of New York.

The Plainedge Board of Education strongly objects to the addition of HPV vaccination as a ADMINISTRATION requirement for students in New York State to attend public schools and ask our elected officials to vote against this bill. DR. EDWARD A. SALINA, JR. SUPERINTENDENT fully• '• � • -, DR. GUY J. LE VAILLANT DEPUTY SUPERINTENDENT

PETER PORRAZZO ASSISTANT SUPERINTENDENT FOR BUSINESS

LISA DEPAOLA ASSISTANT SUPERINTENDENT FOR CURRICULUM & INSTRUCTION

CATHERINE HONEYMAN Superintendent of Schools ASSISTANT SUPERINTENDENT FOR CURRICULUM & INSTRUCTION Cc: Senator John Brooks, Assemblyman John Mikulin

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